Tuesday, 30 August 2016

Book Finds - August 2016

We all love it when someone recommends a new author or a new book to us. Well, I've decided to try and do one post each month where I tell you about books I've found and loved. Some of them might be bestsellers, but I'm suspecting that many of them won't be. What would be brilliant, is if you all share your 'find of the month' in the comments. Deal??

I loved this book and I was reminded about it at a lunch the other week when I was talking to new friends about what to read on holiday. The blurb about this books says:

Grace Lisa Vandenburg counts. The letters in her name (19). The steps
she takes every morning to the local café (920). The number of poppy
seeds on her orange cake, which dictates the number of bites she'll take
to eat it. Grace counts everything, because that way there are no
unpleasant surprises.

Seamus Joseph O'Reilly (also a 19) thinks
she might be better off without the counting. If she could hold down a
job, say. Or open her cupboards without conducting an inventory, or
leave her flat without measuring the walls.

Grace's problem is that Seamus doesn't count. Her other problem is . . . he does.
As Grace struggles to balance a new relationship with old habits, to find a way to change while staying true to herself, she realises that nothing is more chaotic than love.

Although this might sound really like chick-lit, it isn't! It's both hilarious and heart-rending, and a joy to read.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating - Elizabeth Bailey

This was a wonderful find which made me both recognise how lucky I am and encouraged me to stop and be observant more often. The blurb says:

While an illness keeps her bedridden, Elisabeth Bailey watches a wild
snail that has taken up residence in a terrarium alongside her bed. She
enters the rhythm of life of this mysterious creature, and comes to a
greater understanding of her own confined place in the world. In a work
that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature,
she shares the inspiring and intimate story of her close encounter with
Neohelix albolabris a common woodland snail. Intrigued by the snail's
world from its strange anatomy to its mysterious courtship activities;
she becomes a fascinated and amused observer of the snail's curious
life.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is an affirmation of the healing
power of nature, revealing how much of the world we miss in our busy
daily lives, and how truly magical it is. A remarkable journey of
survival and resilience, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating shows how a
small part of the natural world can illuminate our own human existence
and deepen our appreciation of what it means to be fully alive.

Try it. It's wonderful!

Eye for an Eye - Frank Muir

And last but most certainly not least, Frank Muir's first book in his Andy Gilchrist series. This series is set in St Andrews - my stamping ground. A great opener to a series that just gets better!

One psychopath. One killer. The Stabber.

Six
victims, all wife beaters. Each stabbed to death through their left
eye. The cobbled lanes and backstreets of St Andrews provide the
setting for these brutal killings. But six unsolved murders and
mounting censure from the media force DI Andy Gilchrist off the case.
Driven by his fear of failure, and desperate to redeem his career and
reputation, Gilchrist vows to catch The Stabber alone...

So, what have you found to recommend this month? Share the details of your top finds in the comments so we can all read something great next month.

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Affiliation note

Amanda Fleet is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme and also the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which are affiliate advertising programmes designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com